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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · game · hide · saw · mouse · firm · bowl · roll

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. roll — a list
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — decided
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com